Call 911!

I picked up Gavin from daycare, a little later than usual, and was in a rush to get home because I was already so far behind.  Usually, I would take the time to ask Gavin if he'd gone to the bathroom and touch base with him in the potty department, but today...I guess I was a little distracted.

About halfway home, I hear Gavin say, "I have to go pee-pee Mama." I look around and notice that of all the places, we are at least 8 minutes from the nearest anywhere.  The one part of the daycare route that has nothing...of course.  "Can you hold it Gavin? Is it an emergency?" I ask.  "I have to go pee-pee Mama."  I start looking around for my options.  Luckily, he is capable of standing and peeing anywhere into just about anything.  Although I'm not trying to get in the habit of peeing out a window, off a cliff, into a bucket, on a pile of trash or off the side of the road, (all of which we have already done in the past in extreme situations) it looked like the pee-pee pulled out the trump card and was about to throw it out on the table.

"Alright Gavin.  Can you keep the pee-pee in your body until I can stop somewhere?" I hear a confirmation and I drive about 2 minutes up the road to a pull off spot.  Don't be deceived. Just because it has no restaurants, stores or anywhere else to pee, doesn't mean that it's not a busy road.  So, I pull out Gavin, do the usual business...all while car after car drive by with rubbernecking drivers wondering what's going on.  A tad embarrasing.  Particularly when he doesn't have it all mastered and he looks like he has wet his pants despite all of my efforts to keep him dry. 

As I put Gavin into the car, I look at Gavin and thank him for telling me that he had to go the bathroom.  He then looks at me, almost in tears, and says, "Do we have to call 911?" At this point, I'm pretty confused. No, just let me know when you have to go again.  I get in the car and begin to drive off and I hear sniffles and again, "Do we have to call 911 Mama?"  It takes me a second...
"No, honey it's not that kind of emergency." I had asked Gavin if it was an emergency to see if he could hold his pee.  He interpreted that as our deep conversation months ago when I talked to him about how to call 911 if there is an emergency at the house. My sweet boy reminds me that I need to think about how a 3 year old boy interprets what I say.  At least I can tell he's paying attention.